Organic Methods for Vegetable Gardening in Florida

by Ginny Stibolt, Melissa Markham

Overview

How to grow delicious produce in your own backyard

In this guide, expert botanist Ginny Stibolt and Master Gardener Melissa Markham provide simple and accessible advice for successful vegetable gardening in
Florida, where soil types vary and cool-weather crops are grown right through the mild winters. They offer advice on what to do with over-abundant harvests,
strategies for developing a community garden, and suggestions for opportunities beyond the home garden. They also address integrated pest management,
appropriate raised bed types, irrigation, seed saving, just-in-time harvesting,
and food safety.

This second edition is updated with the latest scientific knowledge and growing techniques; new crops for growers to try; more detail in the growing calendars separated by north, central, and south Florida regions; and color photos and illustrations throughout the text. Readers will appreciate this reliable resource that will help them and their families become more resilient by controlling some of their food from seed to table.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813068763
Publisher:	University Press of Florida
Publication date:	03/07/2023
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	378
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Ginny Stibolt is a writer, botanist, and lifelong gardener. Her many books include Sustainable Gardening for Florida; The Art of Maintaining a Florida Native Landscape; Adventures of a Transplanted Gardener: Advice for New Florida Gardeners; and A Step-by-Step Guide to a Florida Native Yard. 

Melissa Markham is a Miami-Dade County Master Gardener and founder of the Urban Oasis Project.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Preface xiii

1 The Movement toward Gardening Organically in Florida 1

2 Siting and Arranging the Edible Garden 13

3 Soil Building 40

4 Seed-Sowing, Propagation, and Planting Techniques 65

5 Florida's Vegetables 82

6 Harvesting, Handling, and Seed Saving 183

7 Weeds, Crop Rotation, and Cover Crops 198

8 Irrigation 210

9 Ecosystem Gardening 232

10 Trends in Edible Gardening 254

Appendix 1 Gardening Calendars for North, Central, and South Florida 269

Appendix 2 Chickens and Rabbits and Worms! Oh My! 307

Glossary 311

Index 319

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the first edition:

 

“This long-awaited guide offers accessible advice and in-depth information.”—Florida Gardening

 

“Packed with practical tips for backyard gardens of all sizes.”—Edible South Florida

 

“Offers an innovative look at modern organic methods that can be applied to the specific issues generated by Florida’s climate.”—Florida Book Review

 

“From cabbage and spinach to squash and peppers and nearly every herb on the planet, this book provides a thorough overview: regions, planting, growing, maintaining, harvesting and using.”—Daytona Beach News-Journal

 

“Simple and accessible advice for successful, pesticide-free vegetable gardening.”—Northwest Florida Daily News

 

“A well-researched and instructive book. . . . Organic gardening is practically foolproof with this book.”—Tallahassee Writers Association

“A wonderful and well-researched book that describes all aspects of organic gardening, from seed to harvest, as well as how to gather seeds from your labors for subsequent years. This book will help you create a garden that will produce food for yourself and your family, whether you live in Florida or not.”—Nell Newman, cofounder of Newman’s Own Organics

From the Publisher